Pigeon of War
by Flipper Boid Skua
Summary: An American dove named Siami is forced into Europe's WWII and is quickly captured by the enemy falcons. How can she survive with no training and no experience to back her up? Will one falcon be the difference between life of freedom, or death in a cage?


Disclaimer: I don't own the movie Valiant or any of its characters; it is as plain and simple as that, yes?

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Siami was a pigeon named by her gold body and brown Siamese pattern, whose clothing-style of choice displayed her wearing leggings on her feathered hindlimbs to help protect them from both damage and the cold, and a brown pilot hat atop her head, the front of which allowed several prominent feathers to stick out a bit to resemble bangs. Her feathers were brilliant in not only color, but in natural luster, which was enhanced in that she always made time to give the feathers the best care she can offer in her difficult position. And what is meant by 'difficult position'?

At the moment, she was busy as she pecked her way through the crumbs littering New York City's Central Park. It was a hard life for a dove her age, even in the best of times. Unfortunately, in this city, there was no such thing as the best of times. There was a lot of things to dodge and she must always be on her guard...at least that's what her parents always told her. She was one of those homeless pigeons, one with no permanent nest, always changing locales whenever her parents saw fit. And although that nomadic lifestyle sharpened her homing instinct to an uncanny and flexible level, she was always jealous of the other pigeons and birds, who always had a home and seeds to pay for actual food to eat….while she was forced to scavenge for scraps here and leftovers there. Finding her meal was not always easy; more often than not, humans would always shoo her off rudely like she was nothing but a worthless pest.

She never understood…

Aren't pigeons supposed to be treated with respect at a time like this? Her parents told her of the war and the Royal Homing Pigeon Service in Europe. Siami rolled her eyes scornfully. Stupid pigeons, fighting a war that wasn't their's to fight...and facing falcons. Now what kind of crazies would do that? She huffed and scratched at the ground, hoping to find more food.

And she found it...In a wooden carrier box. A slice of bread. She took a few steps towards it and hesitated. This had 'trap' written all over it. She heard of American pigeons being transported to Europe for the war, as if there wasn't enough of their own pigeons to use. Even worse, she heard of pigeon shoots where the birds were mercilessly shot down. No way was she going in there.

She turned away, but the bread was so large and delicious-looking that it was worth a second glance. She scowled at herself when her belly grumbled hungrily. She gave it a few pats, gazing longingly at the bread. She hasn't found enough to eat yet and she didn't know if she could wait before the rarity of kind-hearted and sympathetic humans gave her pieces of popcorn and rice...and seeds...definitely the seeds. Eh...it was worth it.

Siami hurried to the box, intending to go in and out quickly...That wasn't what the box had in mind. It snapped shut and locked...

And she was caught...

"Hey, get me outta here!" Siami yelled in her prison, pulling at the bars on the door. She didn't know where she was headed but she was sure it wasn't good. She didn't want to go to war. She didn't want to get shot. She'll go back to the N.Y. and never complain about her life ever again! She just wants to get out!

Finally, she gave up and sat in a corner, sighing dejectedly. What was she going to do now? She heard heavy footsteps and another piece of bread was squeezed between the bars, her lunch ration. She reached out with a wing and pulled the bread closer, eating it halfheartedly. She was already getting used to the eating schedule and her stomach had stopped protesting a long time ago.

How long had she been in here anyway? It felt like forever...When will she be let out?

Right now, she felt tired and laid down to sleep. How she longed for her mother right now...

Something woke her up and it wasn't a nice awakening. Her prison jolted and she was sent into the nearest wall. She shakily got to her feet. "I'm up...I'm up.." she muttered sleepily before shaking her head. Her container was being carried somewhere and it wasn't a smooth ride, her being once more being shaken and thrown into the walls on more than one occasion. But this roughness was nothing to what discomfort she was to experience next. There was suddenly lots of noise and gunfire and she immediately knew that she was in a battle zone. What the-? Combat already? Wasn't she supposed to be deported to the Pigeon Service beforehand... Maybe they've been ambushed before they could reach the pigeon training grounds….Or maybe the humans were just getting desperate. Either was much to her dismay...

Her container was set onto the ground and nothing happened for a long time. So long, that Siami began to feel hopeful that she won't be of much use after all. Her hope was crushed.

The door opened and Siami backed away, afraid that a stray bullet might come zinging in and hit her. The hand grabbed her and she thrashed and flapped even though no harm has been inflicted upon her so far. And she kept struggling as she was equipped with a harness strapped to her body, a capsule on her back.

A message was placed inside and Siami calmed down enough to hear a voice that seemed like a prayer spoken specifically to her, as if just hoping for her to understand.

"Little pigeon." said the voice, soft and husky. Siami couldn't tell where it was coming from, but it sounded weak and beseeching and she noticed that the hand that held her was bloodied. "You're all we've got…T-Take this to London. We know…we know that it will…will be…difficult…We don't know…how you'll get there…but just do this for us and we'll take you back home."

Home. A word she was always hesitant to use. But it had a very comforting ring to it.

The hand let go and she was thrown into the bullet-ridden air. Siami screamed in terror and she opened her wings and flew as fast as she could to calmer ground. A few bullets flew by uncomfortably close and she increased altitude. Hidden in the cloud, Siami allowed a sigh of relief that quickly became a delighted grin as she made it out of the violence.

Now, where was this London place? Siami didn't like doing this, but it was the only way 'home'. She had strong, well-practiced instincts, but the flight would take her over the ocean, and she didn't want to travel over that. Best to get this done and over with. Besides, those people were counting on her. She decided that as much as she wasn't fond of humans, she couldn't let them down in a tight situation like this. She'll never be able to live with herself.

She flew lower, looking down at the unfamiliar landscape and despite her good intentions, she felt a tiny prick of resentment. How could she find her way to London if she didn't even know where she was to begin with? They should've used an English pigeon...at least they'll know what their doing. But Siami wasn't the type to give in so easily. She'll just find some other (friendly) birds that'll give her directions. That's a great plan.

A plan that wouldn't take long to fulfill apparently...

An aerial silhouette. Squinting, she could tell that the creature was not a small bird...And it was flying her way.

Suddenly, there was a loud bang and something twinged against her message capsule. She yelped in surprise and horror as the capsule fell from her back and onto the ground below. She was about to fly after it when another bang sounded and there was a piercing pain in her belly. She screamed in agony and plummeted to the ground, landing hard on her wing. Her body bounced once and went still...

Cufflingk saw the speck in the horizon and he couldn't determine what it was. Even from this distance, he could tell it wasn't a fellow falcon. It seemed a little small...and as he flew closer, he was soon able to make out the familiar shape better...Small head, bulky chest, characteristic flight pattern...so that could only mean...

Pigeon.

He smiled, humming delightfully to himself. He always loved catching these birds, especially if it was a message carrying pigeon. This could get him some glory...

Suddenly, he heard a gunshot and banked sharply just in case it was aimed at him. But he quickly learned it wasn't as he heard the pigeon cry out. Watching from a safe distance, he heard another gunshot and another cry from the bird. Then, the pigeon fell. Knowing it was safe to approach, he flew over to where the pigeon was just a moment ago. He looked down and saw the unfortunate bird lying motionless on the ground. Strange...

He's never seen a pigeon like this before.

Maybe it wasn't a pigeon afterall...It was worth a closer look.

Swooping down lower, he landed on the ground yards from the body and stepped closer, staring intently. First thing he noticed, besides the brilliant feathers, was that the bird was indeed a pigeon. Hm...you see something new everyday...Circling the comatosed bird, he can reach several conclusions. She was a dove, she wasn't carrying any messages...and she was still alive. Well, he can change that.

He _was_ a bit hungry when he thought of it...Perhaps a little snack wouldn't hurt?

Siami stirred when she sensed a presence nearby. She could hear it walking around her, probably checking her condition out. She wondered distantly if the stranger was the one she saw before getting shot...and if it would be helpful. With a painful moan, she shifted and she could hear the presence stop in its tracks. She forced her eyes open and the world seemed blurry and out of focus. Where was she?

She looked over at what was hopefully another bird and was horrified by what she saw. It was a bird alright...A falcon! A falcon with brown and white plumage, black leggings, a black helmet with a spike on top, and a harness similar to hers but with a bird-shaped plate in its center. Speaking of her harness, where was her message capsule? Even through her terror, she couldn't help but wonder.

The falcon grinned evilly at her and she gulped. She tried to scoot away but it was painful to move. Knowing she wouldn't be able to escape, she tried pleading with him. Hopefully, he'll know the meaning of the word 'mercy'.

"Don't eat me! I gotta low thresh-hold fo' pain!" she exclaimed so loudly, her aching head ached even more. The falcon laughed menacingly, and Siami knew that this wasn't working. She cringed as he stepped closer.

"Don't vorry, little pigeon..." he stated in a strong German accent. "...Zis von't hurt a bit."

"Why do I not believe ya?" Siami muttered to herself before clamping her eyes shut, grimly anticipating that her end was very near. She heard the falcon chuckle once more and sensed him getting closer. She tensed and started panting as she felt the predatory bird close his sharp beak onto the nape of her neck. She heard how falcons kill; a crushing bite if the target survived the 200-mile-per-hour assault.

The bite force slowly and steadily got stronger and Siami whimpered in pain in response. She could feel the sharp edges digging into her skin and the blood dripping down her neck. The end was near...

"Ow..." she whispered as the pain got worse for a second. The falcon growled softly, but it wasn't in anger. She could tell it was in sadistic amusement. Great...Just great...Her suffering was just a game to him...What could be better? Better? Well, for a start at least she found her message capsule...

With a metallic thud, the capsule rolled out from beneath her and hit a nearby rock. She felt herself being slowly lifted from the ground as the falcon looked up in surprise. It uneased her how easy it was for the other bird to lift her in his beak alone. After a moment's pause, she was dropped...surprisingly. She held back a cry of pain as her wound once more made contact with the ground. Barely able to keep her eyes open, she fought to remain conscious...

And lost...

"Vell vell vell..." Cufflingk muttered to himself. "Vhat is zis?" He knew exactly what it was and he picked it up off the dirt, taking time to dust it off before giving it a look over. Opening it, he unrolled the message and skimmed over it to see if it was worth his trouble. It indeed was and he grinned before rolling it back up and putting it back into the capsule. He then glanced over his shoulder at the pigeon. She was out cold and bleeding on the ground. Should he take her to? Maybe...Who knows, she might prove useful...maybe he will get the chance to eat her...

He wandered back to her and reattached the capsule to her harness. This will make his load a bit easier. Taking to a hover, he grabbed her in his talons and flew off towards Home Base.

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Yes, Cufflingk is my fav character in the movie...I was rather surprised when I started to realize that, as it was Von Talon I fell in love with first...then it shifted to the smaller lackey falcon. Maybe cause I found him a bit...adorable...In a sadistic, cruel kinda way...Plus I love his voice and his 'henchman' status and his obvious attitude towards Talon when his boss' back is turned. Anywho, I found this old story that I made years ago but never submitted and I thought that I might as well, since I know I've been lagging on my activities here lately. So, show me that I made a good decision and please read and review!


End file.
